Day 4
Suffering the 'Flu in Milano
Friday, August 23, 2024
Buongiorno,
Urgggggggh. We're sick.
Both Grandma & Koro are suffering from a head cold. It's nothing serious, just a runny nose and a tickle in the throat. We bought some Cold & 'Flu tablets at a Farmacia. These are European strength tablets, and boy, do they pack a punch! This must be the type of tablet we can expect in New Zealand once the law is changed to allow them to be sold.
There is nothing worse than suffering from a head cold during the heat of summer. Wandering around in the Milanese heat and humidity is not helping matters. Despite the effectiveness of the tablets, we are struggling.
As a consequence, we are taking things easy and not doing too much. This might be a relatively short update.
The Canals of Milano
Starting in the 12th century, an extensive canal network was built in and around Milan. Construction continued through to the 17th century. The canals were used for the transportation of goods to the city and within the city. One of the materials shipped into Milan via canals was the marble used to build the Duomo. The marble was sourced from Candoglia, located in the Italian alps about 100 kilometres North of Milano.
From the 19th century onwards railways started to replace canals as a means of transport. In the 20th century road transport with trucks complimented the rail system, so the canals fell into disuse and were filled in and built over.
Today there remains only the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese. They meet at Darsena, once a river port. The neighborhood where these canals are located is known as Navigli, and that was our destination this morning.
As you can see, despite how miserable we were feeling, Buzzy Bee was in fine form. Buzzy Bee enjoyed the relaxed and bohemian feel of the Navigli district.
We really didn't do much. We took a stroll along the canal and around the Darsena. There was a market at the Darsena with many specialty food shops. For example there we three butchers, one that sold only poultry, one that sold only pork and one that sold only beef. But the sold every part of the animal. Real nose-to-tail stuff.
Sorry, we're trying to make today interesting and exciting, but we were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. A sandwich for lunch, a quick photo shoot with Buzzy Bee and we were done for the day,
Navigation via Grandma
Grandma was very proud of herself today. It is usually Koro who plans our daily travel. But Grandma has become quite enamored with the ATM app. Yes, the same Grandma who is usually shouting profanities at her "stupid" smart phone! Today, Grandma insisted on planning our route by herself. She did a beautiful job. Koro very much enjoyed the luxury of not having to think about stations and counting stops.
In Milano, the hottest part of the day is between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. This is later than in New Zealand, where the hottest time is 3:00 pm. The Milanese streets feel quiet and empty in the late afternoon as people avoid the heat. Then they burst into life as the evenings cool. Restaurants don't open for dinner until 7:00 pm. Thereafter, they steadily get busier, with people often still arriving for dinner after 9:00 pm.
Grandma has also become quite enamored with the handsome young man with dreamy eyes who works at the local gelateria. Koro was not at all surprised when Grandma suggested gelato for dessert.
We hope that after a good night's sleep, we will be feeling better in the morning.
Love to you all from Grandma & Koro and Buzzy Bee,